Belarus helping Russia exploit occupied Ukrainian areas – report

February 19, Pozirk. Minsk exports to the European Union rapeseed oil made from crops supplied by Russia from the occupied Ukrainian territories, says a report by investigative journalists from the Belarusian Investigative Center (BIC).

The investigation conducted in partnership with Lithuanian, Latvian and Ukrainian journalists, identified Lithuania, Latvia and Poland as main buyers of rapeseed oil from Belarus.

Lithuania had imported rapeseed oil from Belarus until June 2024, when a ban on the import of agricultural products and livestock feed from Russia and Belarus entered into force. However, the ban may be not as effective as planned since transit of these products via Lithuania is still permitted, the BIC noted.

Ahrapradukt, a company based in the Brest region, doubled its rapeseed oil exports in 2022. In the same year, Russia launched a full-scale war on Ukraine with the support of authorities in Minsk.

In 2023, Ahrapradukt purchased oilseeds grown in Russia-held parts of Ukraine’s Kherson region, journalists said. Belarusian company Tranzit-Auta 2003, sanctioned by Kyiv for supporting Russian aggression, holds a 70-percent stake in Ahrapradukt.

However, Ahrapradukt is not sanctioned by Ukraine or the EU and can operate in Ukraine, the BIC said, noting that Ahrapradukt’s quality certificates indicated that Ukrainian companies have been selling rapeseed and soybeans to the company since March 2022.

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